That was then: Celebrating what was

tims4wins

PN23's replacement
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Jul 15, 2005
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It's probably been posted, but it finally feels like we got our version of the team that got hot at the right time, like a bunch of other title teams in (somewhat) recent years - the Giants in 2011, Ravens in 2012, etc. And it's awesome.
 

trotsplits

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Jul 15, 2005
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Don't know if this has been posted yet but here's a nice break down of formations and adjustments during the game.

That's my brother in law. OL coach with the Bengals for 20+ years. Fired by the Cowboys this past season after the bye week. Small world.
 

lars10

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Jul 31, 2007
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It's probably been posted, but it finally feels like we got our version of the team that got hot at the right time, like a bunch of other title teams in (somewhat) recent years - the Giants in 2011, Ravens in 2012, etc. And it's awesome.
Kind of like the Red Sox this year.. just seemed like a buzz saw from minute one of the playoffs. Obviously some issues in the second half of the KC game, but for the most part the Defense was immense. This is the year as well that the teams we faced had a major player out or two on each team... Gordon wasn't 100%, Hunt with the suspension totally changed KC (even with Williams, Ware was also hurt), and Gurley and Kupp for the Rams.
 

Blue Monkey

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Kind of like the Red Sox this year.. just seemed like a buzz saw from minute one of the playoffs. Obviously some issues in the second half of the KC game, but for the most part the Defense was immense. This is the year as well that the teams we faced had a major player out or two on each team... Gordon wasn't 100%, Hunt with the suspension totally changed KC (even with Williams, Ware was also hurt), and Gurley and Kupp for the Rams.
Actually not like the Red Sox at all, right? The Red Sox were a machine all the way through the season. Best record and rolled to a World Series win. How many of us felt great about the pats chances? After Miami and Pitt? Not me. My expectations were an all time low. Hopeful but not confident at all. They waited until the playoffs to play their best ball.
 

BaseballJones

ivanvamp
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Oct 1, 2015
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It's probably been posted, but it finally feels like we got our version of the team that got hot at the right time, like a bunch of other title teams in (somewhat) recent years - the Giants in 2011, Ravens in 2012, etc. And it's awesome.
Yep. We've basically had everything:

- The upstart underdogs with the no-name kid at QB shock a dynasty in the making. (SB 36)
- Powerhouse teams that rolled through the season but had close Super Bowls. (SB 38, 39)
- Great teams that had to come back to win SBs. (SB 49, 51)
- Good team that played its best football at the end and got on a hot streak. (SB 53)

What we need is one season where we dominate during the regular season (14-2, 15-1, etc), and then just pulverize people throughout the playoffs and destroy an opponent in the Super Bowl.

Next year, please.
 

lars10

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I would love to know the backstory to how this was arranged. I assume Disney has talks beforehand with all likely MVP candidates, but I wonder at what point they got a two-for-one?
You could hear during the scrum at the end that they seemed to be asking both Edelman and Brady to 'do the commercial'.. so who knows when that was arranged.
 

lars10

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Actually not like the Red Sox at all, right? The Red Sox were a machine all the way through the season. Best record and rolled to a World Series win. How many of us felt great about the pats chances? After Miami and Pitt? Not me. My expectations were an all time low. Hopeful but not confident at all. They waited until the playoffs to play their best ball.
Didn't mean to say the seasons were the same.. just that they were both buzz saws in the post season. Given all of the stressful post seasons we've had over the past two decades..the runs of these two teams were fairly stress free (other than KC overtime).
 

8slim

has trust issues
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Didn't mean to say the seasons were the same.. just that they were both buzz saws in the post season. Given all of the stressful post seasons we've had over the past two decades..the runs of these two teams were fairly stress free (other than KC overtime).
I can't go there on "stress free". I was a nervous wreck until there was about 30 seconds left last night. And of course the 2nd half of KC was excrutiating.
 

Dollar

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May 5, 2006
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Fresh off a Super Bowl win over the Rams, Tom Brady is in Disney World!



Oh wait, that's from 2002. TB12 wouldn't be caught dead wearing that outfit now.
 

Fisks Of Fury

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I can't go there on "stress free". I was a nervous wreck until there was about 30 seconds left last night. And of course the 2nd half of KC was excrutiating.
+1 on this.

A couple co-workers were sending out emails this morning that "New England fans KNEW they were going to win"... my response was that any Pats fan who said they "knew" they were going to win before the last minute of the game was either a.) lying or 2.) insane.

Hoped? Of course. Thought they COULD win? Absolutely. KNEW? Bullshit.
 

snowmanny

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Actually not like the Red Sox at all, right? The Red Sox were a machine all the way through the season. Best record and rolled to a World Series win. How many of us felt great about the pats chances? After Miami and Pitt? Not me. My expectations were an all time low. Hopeful but not confident at all. They waited until the playoffs to play their best ball.
Yes. More like the 2013 Red Sox, who looked like a completely different team heading into the playoffs.
 

lars10

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I can't go there on "stress free". I was a nervous wreck until there was about 30 seconds left last night. And of course the 2nd half of KC was excrutiating.
True.. ok. Relatively stress free? I admit I was really drunk during the KC second half..so somehow avoided that stress. Last night though it just never felt like the Rams were going to put a full drive together. I guess they could have lost on a fluke, but it felt like the Pats against Atlanta where they were moving the ball, more or less, but just couldn't score. Rams were better than Atlanta in both the secondary and rush D, but it still felt like the Pats were going to score. Last night I was in the beginnings of a cold though..so I probably was concentrating on that rather than being stressed out.
 

m0ckduck

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Jul 20, 2005
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Yep. We've basically had everything:

- The upstart underdogs with the no-name kid at QB shock a dynasty in the making. (SB 36)
- Powerhouse teams that rolled through the season but had close Super Bowls. (SB 38, 39)
- Great teams that had to come back to win SBs. (SB 49, 51)
- Good team that played its best football at the end and got on a hot streak. (SB 53)

What we need is one season where we dominate during the regular season (14-2, 15-1, etc), and then just pulverize people throughout the playoffs and destroy an opponent in the Super Bowl.

Next year, please.
We also might remember this year's team as The Healthy Team that we so desperately pined for in 2012, 2013, 2015, etc. Not at the season's outset, of course, but they basically got healthier as the season went on, rather than the slow decimation that normally occurs.
 

j44thor

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Aug 1, 2006
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So the Patriots this season beat:
NFL MVP/Offensive POY - Mahommes X2
DPOY - Aaron Donald
DROY - Darius Leonard
Comeback POY- Luck
Coach of year - Matt Nagy (Bears)

Basically the only award winner they didn't beat was Saquon, of course they didn't play the NYG.
 

Ralphwiggum

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Bill Belichick has only won coach of the year 3 times and only won it once in any of his 6 Super Bowl seasons (yes I am aware it is a regular season award). Somehow Ron Rivera has won it twice since the last time BB won it. I know these kinds of awards favor turnarounds so in that sense BB winning it three times when the Pats never have anything to turnaround is somewhat amazing in and of itself. But honestly the award should just be the Coach of the Year who isn’t Bill Belichick.
 

tims4wins

PN23's replacement
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Jul 15, 2005
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We also might remember this year's team as The Healthy Team that we so desperately pined for in 2012, 2013, 2015, etc. Not at the season's outset, of course, but they basically got healthier as the season went on, rather than the slow decimation that normally occurs.
So true and so important
 

simplyeric

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+1 on this.

A couple co-workers were sending out emails this morning that "New England fans KNEW they were going to win"... my response was that any Pats fan who said they "knew" they were going to win before the last minute of the game was either a.) lying or 2.) insane.

Hoped? Of course. Thought they COULD win? Absolutely. KNEW? Bullshit.
Yeah wow that’s crazy. My dad (fan since 73) was sitting there saying ‘we’re gonna blow this. We’re just not going to get it done..’
I told him that it was hard to disagree.
Just wanted to bring something to everyone’s attention.

Bernard Pollard
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Pollard

Drafted in 06. Pats lose horrifically in the AFCCG.

Retires the year the Titans miss the playoffs in 2014. Pats win their first SB.

And we all know what has happened since.
Huh?
 

tims4wins

PN23's replacement
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Hingham, MA
Obviously it would have been great to win last year, but getting #6 we can now look back at the loss last year and just add it to the collection of unreal Brady games. Now that they are 6-3 anyway losing last year in no way tarnishes his legacy.

Edit: and I would argue that if they won last year, they wouldn’t have had near the chip on their shoulder that they did this year.
 

snowmanny

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Dec 8, 2005
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So the Patriots this season beat:
NFL MVP/Offensive POY - Mahommes X2
DPOY - Aaron Donald
DROY - Darius Leonard
Comeback POY- Luck
Coach of year - Matt Nagy (Bears)

Basically the only award winner they didn't beat was Saquon, of course they didn't play the NYG.
We all know they would have lost that game.
 

johnmd20

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Bill Belichick has only won coach of the year 3 times and only won it once in any of his 6 Super Bowl seasons (yes I am aware it is a regular season award). Somehow Ron Rivera has won it twice since the last time BB won it. I know these kinds of awards favor turnarounds so in that sense BB winning it three times when the Pats never have anything to turnaround is somewhat amazing in and of itself. But honestly the award should just be the Coach of the Year who isn’t Bill Belichick.
Really, if you sit down and think about it, that's beyond obnoxious. Ron Rivera winning twice since BB last won is comical. Him winning only 3 times over 18 years, when the Pats made 9 Super Bowls, means the award is utterly broken.
 

koufax32

He'll cry if he wants to...
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Dec 8, 2006
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Really, if you sit down and think about it, that's beyond obnoxious. Ron Rivera winning twice since BB last won is comical. Him winning only 3 times over 18 years, when the Pats made 9 Super Bowls, means the award is utterly broken.
Nothing would be more fitting than naming it the BB Award.
 

staz

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The cradle of the game.
Some random points:

This Worst Super Bowl ever narrative can kiss my ass. It was a cliffhanger and chess match for all but the last few minutes, every play magnified, first downs made to feel like touchdowns, strong defensive execution and strategic adjustments by both teams. If you don't like the Pats, fine. Otherwise, go over to Inside the Pylon and learn more about the game. SB53 will gain a very attractive patina down the road. And opinions of it already serve as a good litmus test for football acumen.

As much as I hate to admit, Tony Romo did a decent job in general, particularly when decoding much the nuances. Still doesn't know when to STFU and was dead wrong a few times, but at least he mostly understands what's going on in the game. Imagine Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts stumbling through last night.

And I get the hate: We bend the rules and don't apologize. BB is a curmudgeon and TB too fake. Whatevs. But unless you believe the team is still actively operating outside of the rules, you really have to appreciate holding the NFC Champions and their #2 point scoring offense to a field goal (and no plays in the "Red Area"). Just because the defensive masterpiece was executed by people who's laundry you dislike, doesn't automatically make it any less of a masterpiece.

So anyone else feel little more subdued about this one? Maybe it's becoming (gasp) routine? Or maybe it hasn't sunk in because it kinda came out of nowhere in like 6 weeks? That Houston loss to Philly 2 days before Christmas all but locked up a critically important bye - an opportunity to heal and gameplan. I mean, a month an a half ago, this team was dead. What the hell just happened? Blinded by the Lombardis, indeed.
 

nattysez

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Sep 30, 2010
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So anyone else feel little more subdued about this one? Maybe it's becoming (gasp) routine?.
Since Atlanta, I've always assumed this ring was the last one for a long time and have savored every minute of it. Because one day the SB the Pats win will be the last one for a while.
 

soxhop411

news aggravator
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Dec 4, 2009
46,274
Some random points:

This Worst Super Bowl ever narrative can kiss my ass. It was a cliffhanger and chess match for all but the last few minutes, every play magnified, first downs made to feel like touchdowns, strong defensive execution and strategic adjustments by both teams. If you don't like the Pats, fine. Otherwise, go over to Inside the Pylon and learn more about the game. SB53 will gain a very attractive patina down the road. And opinions of it already serve as a good litmus test for football acumen.

As much as I hate to admit, Tony Romo did a decent job in general, particularly when decoding much the nuances. Still doesn't know when to STFU and was dead wrong a few times, but at least he mostly understands what's going on in the game. Imagine Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts stumbling through last night.

And I get the hate: We bend the rules and don't apologize. BB is a curmudgeon and TB too fake. Whatevs. But unless you believe the team is still actively operating outside of the rules, you really have to appreciate holding the NFC Champions and their #2 point scoring offense to a field goal (and no plays in the "Red Area"). Just because the defensive masterpiece was executed by people who's laundry you dislike, doesn't automatically make it any less of a masterpiece.

So anyone else feel little more subdued about this one? Maybe it's becoming (gasp) routine? Or maybe it hasn't sunk in because it kinda came out of nowhere in like 6 weeks? That Houston loss to Philly 2 days before Christmas all but locked up a critically important bye - an opportunity to heal and gameplan. I mean, a month an a half ago, this team was dead. What the hell just happened? Blinded by the Lombardis, indeed.
Wingo agrees with you 10000%

 

snowmanny

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Dec 8, 2005
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Anyone who thinks this is even on the same planet as the most boring Super Bowl ever never sat through the Minnesota Vikings offense crapping the bed four times in like 7 years. During their final drubbing, this time by the Raiders (thanks Ben Dreith), we switched for awhile to a movie about a singing milkman.
 

simplyeric

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Pollard was our kryptonite.
i think the question was more "Retires the year the Titans miss the playoffs in 2014. Pats win their first SB."
Their first SB since their last one.

When Pollard was in the NFL, the Pats never won a SB.
Yeah I guess I get it now. Just oddly worded. And then followed up with ‘their first super bowl since their last one’...
I’m just giving you a hard time, but you have to admit that a few additional/different words would help.
‘This first super bowl since Pollard started playing’ or even ‘since BP - Before Pollard’
 

PedroKsBambino

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Bill Belichick has only won coach of the year 3 times and only won it once in any of his 6 Super Bowl seasons (yes I am aware it is a regular season award). Somehow Ron Rivera has won it twice since the last time BB won it. I know these kinds of awards favor turnarounds so in that sense BB winning it three times when the Pats never have anything to turnaround is somewhat amazing in and of itself. But honestly the award should just be the Coach of the Year who isn’t Bill Belichick.
This is of course true. But hope remains that they'll do the right thing and name the award after him once he retires!
 

InstaFace

The Ultimate One
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Sep 27, 2016
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Bill Belichick has only won coach of the year 3 times and only won it once in any of his 6 Super Bowl seasons (yes I am aware it is a regular season award). Somehow Ron Rivera has won it twice since the last time BB won it. I know these kinds of awards favor turnarounds so in that sense BB winning it three times when the Pats never have anything to turnaround is somewhat amazing in and of itself. But honestly the award should just be the Coach of the Year who isn’t Bill Belichick.
I have a feeling when he retires they'll name the damn thing after him. Either the AP award, the Sporting News award, or just some trophy the NFL creates for the occasion.

It certainly does seem like the award is given to the coach who most exceeded expectations every year, rather than just the best coach. Belichick's expectations are sky high every year, so he never surprises anyone. But honestly, if you're not going to give it to him for coaching a team with this little star power - with these wide receivers, linebackers, etc - to a title, it really boggles the mind what criteria the voters are using.
 

snowmanny

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So Tom Brady has started for the Patriots in the playoffs 16 different seasons. I'm not sure anyone else has taken the same team to the playoffs more than 11 times (Manning)
 

DennyDoyle'sBoil

Found no thrill on Blueberry Hill
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Sep 9, 2008
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Unlike the other sports where things become a bit more of a crap shoot in the playoffs and you have a large body of work from the regular year, deciding football’s coach of the year without taking the playoffs into account seems weird. Individual player awards maybe ok. You can be the best defensive player on a team that doesn’t even get to the playoffs or Rookie of the year.

But you can’t judge coaching by the regular season alone. In the National Parity League the playoffs are sometimes where coaches distinguish themselves. I guess the counter argument is that the playoffs would take on undue significance and really who cares. The winning Super Bowl coach doesn’t care I’m sure.

But you can give out whatever awards you want. There is nobody that cares about football who doesn’t know who the coach of the year was this year.
 

SemperFidelisSox

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I’ll admit, rewatching the first three quarters has been me pressing the fast forward button quite a lot, but the 4th Quarter is one of the most enjoyable experiences as a fan. The Gilmore pick, the TD drive, Ghost’s kick, the kneel down. Not the most exciting game, but that 4th quarter is pure Patriots porn.
 

Mystic Merlin

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I’ll admit, rewatching the first three quarters has been me pressing the fast forward button quite a lot, but the 4th Quarter is one of the most enjoyable experiences as a fan. The Gilmore pick, the TD drive, Ghost’s kick, the kneel down. Not the most exciting game, but that 4th quarter is pure Patriots porn.
The last two offensive drives are as good as it gets.
 

BaseballJones

ivanvamp
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Oct 1, 2015
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The last two offensive drives are as good as it gets.
Yep. And if the game had another quarter, the offense would have absolutely pummeled the Rams' defense. They had them figured out at that point. Obviously took a while, but they had them figured out.
 

DJnVa

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REWATCHING--6 minutes left, in a game the Rams were THROTTLED, is probably not the time for Romo to call it a "genius idea" for McVay to have the Rams break the huddle with just 15 seconds left, so BB couldn't talk to the defense.